Mail-pouch catcher.



J. ANDERSGN, MAIL POUOH'GATGHER.

APPLIOATION FILED IAN. 13, 1909.

Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

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Patented A131227, 1909.

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I n @A attorneys J. ANDERSON.

. MAIL PoUcH GATUH'ER.. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13.' 1909.

920,002. Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

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Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

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lsame device.

JULIAN ANDERSON'OF HELENA, MONTANA'.

MAIL-POUCH CATGHER.

V No. 920,002.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April a7, 1909.

Application led January 13, 1909. Serial No. 472,079.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that JULIAN ANDERSON, a citizen of the UnitedY States,residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clark, State of Montana,have invented certain new and useful lmprovements Vin Mail-PouchCatchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the'same.

This invention relates to devices for delivering and catching mailpouches such as are employed on ymoving trains, one lpouch being caughtand another deliveredv'by the One Vof the objects of the invention is toimprove the general construction of devices of this character. Y

Another object of the invention is to improve the structure of suchdevices so as to make them equally applicable to trains running ineither direction.

A third object of the invention is to provide an improved form of mailbag catcherl adapted to 'closer within the door Vof a mail car when thebag has been caught and at the same time move the bag within the car.

A fourth object of the invention is to provide an improved form ofcatcher' in which the bag can be placed on the catcher without danger ofdropping out of the door, the delivering device being arranged to moveoutward in an improved manner after receiving the bag.

With the above and other Vobjects in view, the invention consists, ingeneral, of certain devices placed adjacent the track and other improveddevices carried ona' car arranged to catch and deliver mail pouches fromand to the device at the side of the track.

The invention further consists incertain novel details of constructionand combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and specilically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and z-F igure 1 is a side elevation of aportion of a car equipped with this invention, one pouch being shown asin the act of being caught while another is being delivered. Fig. 2 is asection on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the section showing a top vplan viewof the catching and delivering mechanism in the position shown in thatligure.V Fig. 3 'is a view from the interior of the carywith themechanism in the positionfshown'in Fig. 1. Fig. l is a vertical sectionthrough the car door with the mechanism` shown in the position indicatedin Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view similar to 4 with the mechanism folded orswung inward to the position for removing a bag from the catching deviceand placing a bag on the delivering device. Fig. 6 is a view from theinside of the car showing the mechanism in the position indicated inFig. 5. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the devices located at the side ofthe track. Fi 8 is a detail view of the latch mechanism vfor holding thecar supported devices in the position indicated in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is adetail perspective of one of the clamping arms.

Throughout the drawings the letter A indicates the bag to be deliveredand the letter B the bag to be caught. These bags are of the usual formand construction and with this device do not require any specialattachment to enable the device to properly perform its functions.

Considering first the devices which may be called the stationary ortrack devices. These consist, in general, of a supporting rack havingspaced members, but these members are of peculiar construction. Adjacentthe track there is provided a pair of posts 1() on which is supported abar 11 preferably having its upper edge horizontal and being parallel tothe track. Upon the outside face or that away from the track there ismounted on the bar l1 a narrow shelf 12.` About eighteen inches from thepair of posts 10 is fixed another pair of posts 13 similar in characterto the posts 10. From the upper ends of the posts 13 there is provided abar 14 similarin character to the bar 11 but of less length andconsiderably lower in height.

Equidistant with they posts 10 from the posts 13 are posts 15 whichsupport a short bar 16, the upper edge of which is at a greater' heightthan the bar 11 and is similarly arranged. This bar 16 is provided, likethe bar 11, with a small shelf 17 on the side which facesthe centralpost. The shelves 12 and 17 are substantially in alinement and areslightly below the top edge of the central bar 14:.

It will be noted from the foregoing that when a mail pouch is supportedon the rack formed by these posts and shelves the center of the pouchwill rest on the bar 14 while one end will rest on one of the shelves.lthe other end resting on the opposite shelt'. The center ot' the. pouchis thus raised slightly above the ends as would be natural I in suchconstructions.

At 1S is shown the usual mail car and this is provided with a doorway19. Centrally located ot' the doorway 1S) is a standard 20 provided witha pair of spaced ears 2l. h [ounted within the ears 2l is a shaft orbolt 22 provided with suitable nuts 23 on the ends thereof. Upon thebolt 22 is mounted a beam having a reduced and perforated end 25 to titbetween the ears 2l and over said bolt. This beam is further providedwith resilient arms 2G provided with suitable perfor-ations in alinementwith the perforations in the ears 2l and the nuts on the shaft 22outside of these arms so that the required degree of tension may bebrought upon the arms to frictionally hold the catcher in loweredposition. The beam 24: is further provided with other arms 2T which arerigidly attached thereto and also to the resilient arms, counterweights2S being attached to the arms 27 and 26. Y

Connecting the arms 2T is an operating handle or bar 29. Beneath thebeam 24 are held a plurality of standards 30. Each of tion on thestationary these standards 30 is provided with oppositely extendinglingers 8l, said ngers being tapered toward their points and merging linto a gradual curve into the standards. These standards are of suchlength and are i so positioned that the fingers 3l will pass between thebars of the stationary'rack previously described and below a bag heldthereon. At the same time, the fingers are oic sutiicient height so thatthe bar 1l of that rack will project above the lingers and push a bagsupported thereon ottl from the ingers. Each of the outermost. fingersis provided with an upwardly extending guard 32 arranged to prevent the.bag being misplaced when about to deliver the same as well as to preventa caught bag being thrown ofi endwise from the car.

Mounted on the beam 24 is a block 38 provided on each side with spacedears 34. These ears are provided with suitable per- :toratons to receivebolts which extend therethrough. .Mounted on each of the bolts 3 5between the ears 34 is an arcuate arm 3G each provided with a iinger 3T.The end ot each of the arcuate arms 36 is tapered as indicated at 3S andis so arranged that when the arms are in position to catch a mail bagthe end 38 will come in contact with the bag and rotate the arm 36 so asto bring the arm 37 down over the bag and hold it securely upon thefingers 31. In order to move these arms to catching and holding positionmanually there is provided on the top of the block 38 certain bearings39 which are so spaced as to receive between them the cranks t0 otlshafts Tl. These crank shafts 4i extend inward in parallel relation andterminate adjacent the operating bar 29 where they are provided withhand wheels 42. Connected at one end to one of the cranks -ttl and atthe other end to the corresponding arcuate arm 3G is a resilient link423 upwardly bowed so as to form a slightly yieldable connection betweenthe crank 4() and the arcuatey arm 3G to which it is connia-tcd.

in order to understand the operation ot catching a mail bag it will benoted that the entire trame embracing the beam 2l is dropped downward asindicated in Fig. l. Now 1ct it be supposed that a bag is in posirack orsupport and ready to be caught. The operator within the car. havingpositioned the catcher as j ust noted, rotates the hand wheel t2 locatednearer the forward end of the car to raise thc catching arm 87. As thecar passes the stationary rack the bag strikes the end 3S ot the arni 3Gand causes the saine to rotate bringing the arm 37 down with its end injuxtaposition to the fingers 31. ln this operation the shock of thesudden blow on the arm is absorbed by the resilient link dvi-l and theparts are thus moved without dainage. The bag is now on the fingers 3]and ready to be moved into the car. To accomplish this, the operatordepresses the handle bar 29 and swings the beam 2l upward on the shaft22. ln order to prevent the bag dropping oif the rack when swung up inthis position there is provided on cach ot the inside lingers 3l a shelfla against which the base of the bag rests when thc device is swung up.The hand wheel 4.2 may again be rotated and the bag freed trom thegripping` arms 37 and swung inside of the car.

In order to provide for the delivery ot a bag, the device is turned upas in the position in which the bag is received within thc car and theproper hand wheel rotated (o move the end of the clamping or locking arm3T away from its corresponding ii nger 3 l. The bag is then set on theshell and the saine hand wheel again rotated to lock the bag inposition. The device is then dropped down ward by raising theoperatingbar 29. Youv when the car passes by the stationary rack, thebar 1l of that rack will lie bctwccn the inside and middle fingers 31and since this` bar projects above the plane ot the top ol" theselingers the end of the bar will strike the bag carried on those lingersand raise` and :torce the saine back fard, at the saine time lifting thelower end ot' the arni 3T and freeing the bag from the gripping eii'cctoi said arm so that it falls ott of the rear ot tlle lingers 5l. Theresilient link 4?) acts in this case precisely similar as in the otherto eliminate the danger of fracture oli' the lio' fore desired toconfine parts and absorb the shock incident to the sudden striking ofthe bag.

ln order to prevent danger to the operator there is provided on eachside of the doorway 19 a guard or safety arm 45 of substantially thesame height as the shelf 44 when the beam 24 is raised. lt will beobserved that this bracket not-only prevents injury to the operator butalso assists in properly positioning a bag for delivery and in removinga bag which has been caught by forming a continuation of the shelf 44located adjacent said bracket.

in order to hold the arm 24 in its raised position and prevent theaccidental falling thereof, the upper side of the doorway is cut away asindicated at 46 and upon each side of the doorway is fitted a latch arm47, the ends of the arms being pivotally connected as indicated at 48.These arms are further provided with operating handles 49 located insuitable position to enable them to be released by a person standing oneither side of the device.

Upon the block 3B ismounted a latch 50 arranged to engage the latch armwhen the arm 24 is raised. From this construction it will beapparentthat the device is securely held in raised' position While itmay be lowered from either simply moving the handle of on that side.

fn order to understand the complete operation of the device let it besupposed that the train is approaching a station at which one bag is tobe delivered and another caught. The arm 24 is held in the raisedposition during the ordinary running of the train. As the trainapproaches the station, the operator inside the car places the bag fordelivery in position as previously described. He then pulls the lever torelease the latch at the same time pulling upward on the operating bar29 and places the device in its lowered position. Either now orpreviously he has moved the forward linger 37 to its raised position aspreviously noted. The fingers 3l at the forward end now receive the bagand lock it in position while the fingers at the rear end permit the bagpreviously upon the arm to be delivered. The operator now depresses thebar 29 and delivers the received bag within the car, the latch 50engaging the latch lever to hold the device in raised position. Thisoperation is repeated with each station approached.

The device thus described is strong and simple in its character andeflicient in its operation, is of few parts and readily manufactured.

it is obvious that many minor changes may be made in the form andconstruction of the parts witliout departing from the materialprinciples thereof. It is not therethe invention to the the latch leverside of the door by l exact form herein shown and described, but it iswished to include all such as properly 'come within the scope of theclaims.

`Having thus described the invention, what is claimed asnew, is :--l

l. In a device of the kind described, a

pivoted bar provided with pouch supporting means comprising spacedfingers rigidly attached to the bar, a clamping arm arranged toautomatically grip the pouch when caught by the' supporting means, andother means operable from the pivoted end of the bar to manually set theclamping arm.

2. ln a device of the kind described, a bar pivoted to swing in avertical plane, pouch supporting means carried by the bar comprisingspaced fingers rigidly att-ached to the bar, a clamping arm arranged toautomatically grip the pouch when caught by the supporting means, andother'means operable from the pivotedrend of the bar to manually set theclamping arm.

8. In a device of the kind described, a pivoted bar provided with pouchsupporting means, a clamping arm arranged to automatically grip thepouch when caught by the lsupporting means, a crank shaft, and aresilient connection between said crank shaft and said clamping arm.

'4.ln a device of the class described, a pivoted. bar provided withpouch supporting means, a clamping arm pivotally mounted on the bar andarranged to automatically grip the pouch when caught by the supportingmeans, a crank shaft supported on the bar, a spring link connecting saidcrank shaftand clamping arm, and an operating handle held upon saidcrank shaft adjacent the pivoted end of the bar.

5. ln a device of the kind described, a pivoted bar provided 'with pouchsupporting means comprising spaced fingers rigidly attached to the barand symmetrically disposed on opposite sides thereof, and a clamping armarranged to automatically grip the pouch carried on each side of saidbar to coact with said ingers.

6. ln a device of the kind described, a pivoted bar arranged to swing ina vertica plane, pouch supporting means carried vby said bar comprisingspaced lingers rigidly attached thereto, and shelves attached to saidfingers nearest the pivoted end of the bar, means to raise said bar, andreleasable means to hold said bar in raised position.

7; ln a device of the kind described, means adjacent a track to supporta mail pouch, in combination with a pivoted bar mounted for movement ina vertical plane and carried upon a car, pouch catching and `supportingmeans held upon said bar, and a clamping arm arranged to automaticallygrip the pouch when caught by said catching and supporting means.

lli)

8. ln 2L device of the kind described, menneA adjacent u truck tosupport al mail poneh comprising spaced railsI` in Combinalion wilh awir supported bnr pivot'ed lo .lining in n vertical plane and providedwith pouch catching ineens comprising spaced .lingers rigidly attachedthereto and arranged lo pass hel'ween the n'ielnbers of the sl'nionarypouch Support, :i Clamping :ii-n1 pivolnlly mounted on Said bur toautomatically grip a pone-h when caught by thel lingers, u crank shaftSupported on the bnr und niomble therewith, n resilient Conneclionbetween the crunk ol" smid Crank Shnll; :1nd said clamping' :n'ni7 :lhund wheel inonnled on Lnid Crunk Shnll, means :llllznhed lo said hairlo mise the Sanne, :1nd enr ,wnpporled locking lnenns lio rel nsnblyhold said hair in raised posilion,

ln lentiniony whereof, I nllix niy lure. in presence of two wilnesses.

J UL IAN A NBER b3( Signullli'neSses:

C. l). lliin'rix, ll. B. ANnxcnsox.

